Monday, May 7, 2012

Bronze Age


Heres the Bronze Age notes, again sorry for no pictures :S

Bronze Age
  • 2000B.C.-500B.C.
  • Early 2000BC-1500BC, Middle 1500BC-1200BC, Late 1200BC-500BC
  • Evidence of a new culture coming to Ireland to the north and east of the country
  • Beaker people came from mainland Europe in search of copper and gold deposits made different types of burial, stone-lined cist graves
  • Bronze Age decoration was a combination of basic geometric shapes with the most up to date technology of the time. Metal was cast, hammered, twisted and cut into shape. Bronze Age artists created designs by mechanical means using a compass and a straight edge rather than the freehand designs of the Stone Age
  • Mining evidence in Vale of Avoca in Co. Wicklow and in the Mourne Mountains. Gold was probably found in nuggets or by panning alluvial deposits in rivers.
  • Copper was mined by roasting ore bearing rocks with fire and then cracking them by throwing cold water on it. It was smelted and the molten copper poured into stone moulds.
  •  As technology progresses Tin was used, imported from Britain and mixed with the copper to make Bronze which is stronger and can hold a sharp edge longer.
  • Trumpets shields weapons and tools were made from bronze.
  • Early artefacts made from a single piece of gold which was incised or used the Repoussé technique (pattern pushed out from the back)
  • Circles, dots triangles and straight lines were combines in various ways.

Sun Disc
Tedavent Co. Monahan

  • Function Two holes near the centre suggest that the discs might have been sown onto a garment or belt. Probably worn by someone of importance of stature in society.
  • Structure Circular in shape, 11cm in diameter, Flat sheet of gold.
  • Decoration a cross shape made from dots in the centre (not Christian symbolism) surrounded by concentric circles of bands of dots and chevrons.
  • Careful craftsmanship as thin sheet of gold could tear.







Lunula

Middle Bronze Age
Dated After 1800 BC.
Often plain but sometimes decorated with incised lines.
Ross Co. Westmeath
  • Function Neck collar, probably worn as a status.
  • Structure Made of gold hammered into a thin sheet and cut into shape. Flat piece of gold in a  symmetrical crescent moon shape. Paddle shaped end slightly thicker than rest and can be bended to form a locking device. 20cm across.
  • Decoration Pattern concentrated on narrow ends of crescent. Chevrons and lines outlining on the perimeter. Three sets of parallel lines of cross hatching with a lines of triangles either side
Torcs
1400 BC onwards (Bishopsland Phase)
Varity of different forms
Long torc at Tara co. Meath
Ribbon torc found near Belfast
  • Function Worn around the neck, waist, arms or as earrings.
  • Structure made from twisted gold. Ribbon Torc made out of a strip of flat god twisted into an even spiral. Flanged torc made by hammering flanges out from the angles of square or triangular bars before twisting, can be varied by varying the lengths of the flanges. Bar torc a twisted square, round or triangular.

Late Bronze age (Golden age, Dowris Age)
After 800BC there was upsurge in metal work in Ireland
Fibula
Clones, Co. Monaghan
  • Function Used as a dress fastener, some were very heavy, so may have only been used for ceremonial use.
  • Structure 21.5 cm long, Made from a kilo of solid gold. Gold bow or handle connected to a two gold hemispheres.
 Handle cast in mould, flat metal hammered into shape for the cups then soldered together.
  • Decoration Decorated with rows of small concentric circles with a hollow in the centre of each. Area where bow joins has incised triangles and bands of lines. Unadorned handle



Gorget
Gleninsheen Gorget found in Burren, Co. Clare
800-700BC
  • Function Worn on neck as a high status symbol probably for ceremonial uses. Fastened around neck by cord attached to the ends of the collar.
  • Structure Semicircular collar with a gold disc at either end. The discs were made from two layers with the edges of the larger back disc wrapped over the front to create a finished edge. The discs were attached to the collar by sewing with gold thread. To finish the raw edges of the collar narrow strip of gold was rolled all around the edge.
  • Decoration Crescent shaped body decorated with rows of decorated bands alternatively rope and smooth plain patterned. On the discs, 11 incised concentric circles surround a large concentric circle with a conical boss in the centre. Beads surround the perimeter and the centre concentric circle. Smooth and textured patterns on the surface capture the light beautifully.

Lock Rings

Uniquely Irish
Gorteenreagh Co. Clare
Discovered along with a hoard of other artefacts including gold collar and gold bracelets
  • Function Used as hair ornaments. Plait of hair slipped through opening and turned out of line to hold the hair in place. Hair held in place by protruding bosses from tube in centre.
  • Structure Double cone shape with a narrow opening down one side, bound together by a band of gold. They have a diameter of 10 cm and length of 5 cm.
  • Decoration cone made up of fine gold wires soldered together

2 comments:

  1. Ribbon torc is from late bronze age and lunula is from middle. At least thats written in my art book and i checked it in amcouple of other web sites!

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    Replies
    1. Okay, your prob right and im too lazy to check XD so ill change it! :) Thanks xx

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